Drivers and pedestrians cautioned, after two collisions this week Cris
2018-02-02T22:06:27+00:00

Project Description

Drivers and pedestrians cautioned, after two collisions this week

Both pedestrians and drivers are asked to look out for each other as the poor weather and low light conditions persist.

Two pedestrians have been struck by vehicles this week in North Delta, both in crosswalks.

“Fortunately neither pedestrian was seriously hurt,” says public affairs coordinator Cris Leykauf. “We are urging drivers to please look twice for pedestrians, especially when turning in intersections and near transit stops, as pedestrians may be hard to see in this bad weather we’ve been experiencing.”

In the most recent incident Delta Police were called to 112th Street and 72nd Avenue on Feb. 1 at 5:30 pm. A motorist was turning left onto 112th Street and struck a pedestrian crossing northbound on 72nd Avenue in the crosswalk. At the time of the incident it was dark and raining, and with limited visibility. The driver remained on the scene and was cooperative with police.

In another incident, police attended the scene of a pedestrian struck by a driver at 7100 block of 120th Street at 9 am, January 29. The pedestrian was walking north bound on the west side of 120th Street, across a mall access road in a crosswalk. The driver did not remain on the scene, and was later given a violation ticket.

“While our officers continue to enforce traffic laws – they’ve handed out about 80 violation tickets this past week alone – we would be remiss if we didn’t do all we could to try and protect pedestrians. That’s why our volunteers and District Liaison Officers are continuing to do outreach in North Delta and other areas, handing out reflective pedestrian suspenders,” says Leykauf.

While drivers should always check for pedestrians in intersections – they’re easier to spot when wearing reflective clothing.

Police also recommend that pedestrians, when using umbrellas or putting hoods up, make eye contact with drivers. They should never assume that a driver sees them.

Wearing reflective clothing or using flashlights also makes it easier for drivers to see pedestrians in wet weather, and at dusk or night.